1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tile mount plate, which is used for mounting tiles on the surface of a wall assembly of a structure, and, in particular, is preferably used when a foundation for tiles and a support body thereof are made from a material such as wood which is easily damaged by moisture.
2. Description of the Related Art
A tile is essentially a fired clay product that has a high degree of physical stability and and color stability. Accordingly, tiles are widely used for the outer walls of buildings and the like, which require durability against, for example, weather conditions, and outer or inner walls of various structures for which the effect of color or material is of importance. In this connection, when tiles are mounted to a surface of a wall, such as an outer wall of a building made from wood, a method is conventionally used wherein a foundation is formed by a surface wall made from, for example, plywood, to which are adhered an inorganic substance plate and a waterproof sheet. Then, marking of the positions for attaching tiles is carried out, and the tiles are pressed, one by one, onto the marked positions and adhered thereto by a cement mortar or latex mortar, and thus the tiles are mounted in the desired pattern.
This method, however, suffers from the disadvantage that the tiles must be individually adjusted to ensure that the position and inclination thereof with respect to the marked lines are correct, and the disadvantage that the tiles must be adhered with a predetermined space between adjacent tiles. Therefore, not only does the work require an expert level of skill, but also a long time is required for carrying out the work, because of the necessity for adjusting the position of the tile while adhering the same to a wall. Furthermore, the precision, i.e., evenness, of the surface of the wall after the mounting of the tiles is affected by the surface condition of the foundation. For example, if a portion of the foundation is not in a even or level condition, the mounting of tiles must be carried out while adjusting the portion that is not level, thereby further complicating the work process and prolonging the period needed for completion of the work.
Furthermore, while a tile usually has physical and color stability, a tile does not elasticity, and it is impossible for the tile to follow an expansion or contraction of the wall. Therefore, a tile adhered to the surface of the wall is easily partially detached or separated from the foundation, even by a small deformation of the support body or by a shrinkage of the mortar adhesive. This permits rainwater to permeate the support body if the detached or separated tile is mounted on an outer wall. Where the support body is made from wood, a waterproof sheet is provided as a part of a foundation for the tiles to prevent water on the surface of the tiles from reaching the support body. However, water can flow between overlapped portions of waterproof sheets, because these sheets are usually not sealed at the joints, with the result that water can permeate into the support body. In the case of an inner wall, an ingress of water gathered on the tiles by condensation caused by a temperature difference thereof with respect to the atmospheric air often occurs, and this water is repeatedly frozen, thereby increasing the separation of the tile from the wall causing erosion of the support body, and reducing the strength of the structure as a whole.
Furthermore, a tile directly mounted on a foundation is easily separated therefrom because it is adhered thereto by cement, and thus an accident can occur whereby a person is injured or something is damaged.